PA president claims he agreed to alternative peace plan proposed by Kushner and Greenblatt on provision that Israel be part of ‘triangular federation’: says he holds regular meetings with Shin Bet heads and two sides agree on ‘99 percent of issues.’

Itamar Eichner|Published: 09.02.18 , 17:18

Palestinian Authority (PA) President Mahmoud Abbas said on Sunday in a meeting held with the left-wing Peace Now movement and Israeli Knesset members that a US negotiating delegation recommended a peace plan that was based on a confederation with Jordan.

According to the PA president, he told President Donald Trump’s delegation that he would agree to such an arrangement on the provision that Israel would also be part of the confederation.

Abbas also claimed that he “consistently meets with the heads of the Shin Bet—we agree on 99 percent of the issues.”

Mahmoud Abbas (Photo: AP)

During the meeting, which was attended by the Peace Now Chairwoman Shaked Morag and MKs Mossi Raz (Meretz) and Ksenia Svetlova (Zionist Union), Abbas said that Trump’s two special Mideast advisors—Jason Greenblatt and the president’s son-in-law Jared Kushner—”asked me if I believe in a federation with Jordan.”

“I told him: yes. I want a triangular confederation with Jordan and Israel. I asked if the Israelis would agree to that proposal,” Abbas claimed.

The 82-year-old Palestinian leader also shared his belief that the US was a hostile force against the Palestinians and “is closing the peace process. The US wants to destroy UNRWA completely.”

Meeting between Abbas and Israeli peace activists and politicians (Photo: President Abbas's office)

Abbas also reiterated and emphasized that the the PA security apparatus “maintain daily security coordination with the Israeli defense establishment” and that its personnel “do everything possible so that no Israeli is harmed.”

The Trump administration announced on Friday it would cease to provide any financial aid
to the United Nations Relief and Works Agency (UNRWA), which the US and Israel have accused of deliberately bloating the number of bona fide Palestinian refugees.

The Palestinian president, whose relations were soured with the US particularly after Trump announced his recognition of Jerusalem as Israel’s capital last December,
claimed that 70 percent of Gaza’s residents are refugees.

“Most of them live on UNRWA’s assistance. Then President Trump says ‘cancel UNRWA and give humanitarian aid to Gaza.’ How is it possible to abolish UNRWA on the one hand and Palestinians be given humanitarian aid on the other,” he asked.

He also insisted that he supports security for Israel and for finding a solution to the Palestinian refugee problem.

Abbas blamed Israel for what he said was the country’s refusal to negotiate with the Palestinians, despite the fact that the Russians attempted on two occasions to bring the two parties together, as did the Japanese, the Dutch and the Belgians.

President Trump (Photo: AP)

“I’ve met with Trump four times. He said that he supports the two-state solution and that he’s in favor of a demilitarized state with NATO forces maintaining a secure environment in the area,” Abbas continued.

The Palestinian leader also claimed that Prime Minister Netanyahu refuses to meet with him in person.

“My problem is with Netanyahu, not with the Likud. Netanyahu is against Trump’s proposal,” opined the Palestinian president.

The Peace Now Chairwoman Morag assured Abbas that the organization will proactively campaign for a peace arrangement during the next election.

“The Israeli peace camp is widespread and during the next general election Peace Now will demand from the leaders a commitment to advancing the two-state solution,” she concluded.